Venus Optics has priced the new Laowa ACRIS 35mm f/2.8 1X AF Macro APO at $449, marking the first full-frame autofocus 35mm lens to deliver 1:1 magnification.

That price undercuts the 1:1 full-frame macro segment significantly. Sony's FE 90mm f/2.8 Macro G OSS, Nikon's Z MC 105mm f/2.8, and Canon's RF 100mm f/2.8 L Macro IS USM all reach 1:1 — but at longer focal lengths that isolate the subject and blur the surroundings. The 35mm-plus-autofocus combination has been entirely absent from the market.

The lens ships now in three autofocus mounts — Sony E, Canon EF, and Nikon Z — and as a manual-focus version in Canon RF and L-Mount. The Sony E copy weighs 560 g; the Canon EF copy weighs 530 g. The barrel uses an all-metal, weather-resistant housing.

What does the dual-mode focus actually do?

The ACRIS uses a hybrid AF/MF system. Standard autofocus covers infinity to 0.5 meters. Below that range, a macro focus-assist mode takes the lens down to the 1:1 ratio. Venus Optics rates maximum magnification at 1X for the manual path, but only about 0.1X through autofocus — a real-world limit worth flagging for buyers who expect full 1:1 via the AF motor.

For focus-stacking and focus-bracketing workflows, working pros will likely default to the manual-focus versions, since AF repeatability generally doesn't hold for stacked frames.

How does a 35mm change the macro image?

Telephoto macros compress and isolate. The subject sits against creamy, defocused background. A 35mm macro flips that: the photographer captures environmental context, the habitat around an insect, the surface around a plated dish, the room around a product shot.

As Laowa states in its product literature, sample images from the ACRIS "do not have heavy distortion that typically comes with pushing macrophotography into ultra-wide focal lengths." That claim is what working pros will want to verify in field tests.

Spec sheet at a glance

• Format: Full Frame
• Focal Length: 35mm
• Aperture: f/2.8 – f/22
• Angle of View: 63.4°
• Lens Construction: 13 elements in 10 groups
• Aperture Blades: 9 (AF) / 13 (MF)
• Min Focus Distance: 180mm (AF range: 0.5m – infinity)
• Min Working Distance: 48.6mm
• Max Magnification: 1X (AF: ~0.1X)
• Filter Thread: 72mm (AF) / 67mm (MF)
• Mounts AF: Sony E, Canon EF, Nikon Z
• Mounts MF: Canon RF, L-Mount
• Weight: 560 g (Sony E) / 530 g (Canon EF)

Where does this fit in a working kit?

At f/2.8 and 35mm, the lens doubles as a street or environmental portrait optic between macro assignments. Solo shooters handling multi-deliverable days — product plus lifestyle, for example — can switch focal-length perspectives without a body change.

The trade-off is depth of field. At 1:1 with f/2.8 wide open, the plane of critical sharpness can be razor-thin, forcing smaller apertures or stacked frames for client-ready files.

What's the business case at $449?

For product, food, and editorial photographers who need environmental context in macro work, the ACRIS 35mm covers a focal length no first-party macro offers, at a sub-$500 price. The all-metal build and weather sealing suggest durability for outdoor assignments. The five-mount lineup covers most current mirrorless systems, with Fujifilm X notably absent.

The open question for buyers is AF reliability at the close-focus end. Venus Optics' dual-mode hybrid is a pragmatic split, but independent lab testing will determine whether the AF path produces repeatable, client-ready results from 0.5 meters inward.